I'm Thankful For
by EllieLover19
Summary: Marco starts a new tradition at Thanskgiving dinner that brings out hidden feelings when Alex stops by.
1. I'm Thankful For

**Author's Note: I know Canadian Thanksgiving is on Oct 5, but this is just a oneshot for tomorrow. Enjoy!**

"This looks good," Craig said as Marco placed the plump turkey in the center of the table. Paige followed with the bowl of mashed potatoes.

"We agreed that Paige should make the potatoes this year." Marco said, taking his seat next to Ellie and Craig.

"Why, what happened?" Jimmy asked.

"Let's just say it had an explosive taste to it."

"Ha ha, funny Marco" Paige sat across the table next to Spinner. On the opposite side of him sat an empty chair, meant for Alex. Paige spent several hours, the week before, trying to get in contact with her. She didn't leave much of a contact list for the gang to reach her, so Paige repeatedly called the same numbers over and over again. About the twentieth time she called, Alex answered. She claimed she didn't have any plans, but was still a little hesitant on coming for dinner, due to their last meeting. Alex decided to give in however, after Paige's pleading and begging. She agreed to bring the stuffing.

"Have you talked to her since?" Ellie asked, noticing Paige's fixation on Alex's empty seat.

"Last night, but I'm sure she'll be here." Paige said.

"Well can we eat? My stomach has seriously been lacking food since the chemo." Spinner said, grabbing at his almost flat stomach.

"Wait. Before we dig in, I'd like to start a tradition." Marco announced. Everyone sighed.

"Cool down, cool down. Since this is our second year living together and we're all pretty much happy with our lives, I'd like us all to say what we're thankful for."

"We're thankful for this food, now let's eat" Jimmy said.

"No, I'm serious. I'll start." Marco began.

"Make it quick Del Rossi." Spinner sighed.

"Okay, I am thankful for my wonderful friends and this great house we've had the chance to grow and prosper in. I'm thankful for my Ma and Pa, and the love that they have showed me all of my life."

"Wow, you really thought that one threw." Craig joked. Everyone around the room, with the exception of Marco, giggled.

"Okay, Mr. Smart Guy, what are you thankful for?"

"Oh you think you're putting me on the spot, eh? Fine. I am thankful that I have made a huge recovery from my drug addiction, I'm thankful that I can enjoy the holidays with my friends and," Craig placed a hand over Ellie's. "That I found this beautiful, smart, feisty girl that I love very much." Craig pecked Ellie on the cheek, she blushed.

Time went by fast, everyone had gotten so into the "thankful for's" that they almost forgot about the delicious food staring back at them. After Craig, came Ellie, then Jimmy, Spinner, and finally Paige. Normally, she would've jumped right to the opportunity of all the attention being focused on her, but she was still concerned about Alex.

"Paige, Paige? Hello, Miss. Michalchuk." Marco called, Paige stared into space.

"Guys just eat, I'll be right back." Paige hopped out of her seat and made it through the living room.

"You heard the girl, let's eat." Spinner announced.

Paige frantically dug threw her purse, looking for her cell. She found it and dialed Alex's cell.

"Come on Alex, pick up, pick up." She said pacing the room.

"Hello?" she heard the girl's voice respond. An immediate smile sprung onto Paige's face.

"Hey! Where are you?" she asked.

"Wouldn't you like to know, Michalchuk." An even bigger smile widened across Paige's face once she realized where Alex may've possibly been. Paige opened the front door and sure enough, Alex Nunez stood outside on the stoop. "Hey girly girl." She said as she and Paige disconnected from their phones. Paige wrapped her in a strong and loving embrace.

"I missed you." She whispered.

"Yeah and I need to breathe."

"Oh, sorry." Paige released from her.

"I missed you too; my life's actually been a little boring since I left. You guys start eating yet?" Alex peaked through the house.

"You bring the stuffing?" Paige asked, Alex held up the bowl. "Great!" Paige just stood there staring at the girl, biting her lower lip.

"Um, can I come in? I'm freezing my ass off." Alex shivered.

"Sure," Paige stepped aside and allowed the girl to come in; she closed the door behind her. Paige took Alex's free hand pulled her into the kitchen of the feasting young folks.

"Hey Alex!" Marco greeted.

"Hey!" Spinner mumbled with a mouth full of mashed potatoes.

"Dude, we're eating." Jimmy squinted with a disgusted look on his face.

"What's up guys?" Alex unraveled the bowl of stuffing and placed it by the large turkey. Spinner immediately snatched it from the table and scooped up his portion from the bowl.

"Marco, I think I'm ready to tell everyone what I'm thankful for." Paige said.

"Shoot," Marco took a bite from the sliced piece of turkey on his plate.

"Okay. Like everyone else, I am very thankful to be here with my friends and celebrate this great holiday that brings people together. I'm also thankful to be graced with the presence of Alex Nunez," the dinning room was quite, Spinner's loud smacking stopped. "I'm thankful to know that I was cared for by this wonderful girl and for the great bond that formed between us. I'd be very thankful if Alex were to give me a second chance." Paige looked deeply in her eyes. "When you left, I wanted so much to run and go get you, tell you to come back and talk about what direction we needed to go in. I couldn't though, we both needed to move on with our lives. Now, I'm done moving. I want you Alex. I need to you Alex. So please, give me another chance." Alex looked from Paige to the staring table of friends.

"I, I, I'm sorry Paige, but I can't. This, this was a big mistake. Happy thanksgiving everyone; enjoy the stuffing, I made it myself." Alex rushed out of the dinning room and headed for the door.

**The End**

**Author's Note: This may possibly be a future fanfic. Happy Thanksgiving! **


	2. I Love You

**This is no longer a oneshot, it's a full-on Palex story. I may change the title however, but the summary will remain the same. Enjoy Chap.2 **

Just as Alex reached for the door knob, Paige grabbed her wrist and spun her around.

"Alex why?" she muttered, her bottom lip quivering. She could tell Alex was holding back tears.

"Who the hell do you think you are? Inviting me out here, putting me on the spot?"

"Putting you on the spot? Alex, I was trying to tell you how I felt, all of that was true." Paige whispered, making sure the guys weren't listening in on their conversation/argument.

"It was your decision to put me out, remember? If you wanted me to stay so badly, why did you kick me out?" Alex said, still trying to hold back the emerging tears.

"Alex, someone needed to introduce you to reality. I couldn't carry you through it, you had to make your own lifestyle."

"Well I did and now you're trying to bring me back into your's. We've been over this before, you keep opening and closing my door. What do you want Paige! I can't keep letting you in and you keep breaking my heart!" Alex shouted, rage consuming her, tears spilling from her eyes.

"I want you, okay! I want you." Paige grabbed her, she too crying as well.

"It's not that simple, Paige. You've done this to me over and over again, I can't trust you anymore, I don't know you anymore." Alex released from the girl, the emotion in her face beginning to settle.

"Alex please, I… I love you." It was the first time Paige had said those three little words to Alex. Did she really mean them? Or did she think they'd make Alex stay? Something inside of her wanted her to say it, whether it was really love, she wasn't sure. It just felt real good to get it off her chest, like a huge secret had been spilled to the world.

"I loved you too… a long time ago. You were right, we both needed to move on and I did." Alex opened the door and took no further thought before leaving the house. Paige stood there, staring at the door, wondering what went wrong. She brushed her hands through her hair, took a deep breath and bolted for her room. She didn't want to talk to Marco, she didn't want to babble on to Ellie, she just wanted to be alone.


	3. Nature's Course

Spinner and Jimmy decided not to stay over after dinner. Spinner wanted to get home and pick over whatever remaining food his mom made for the neighbors and Jimmy wanted to spend some time with the fam before they passed out from the huge amounts of wine and alcohol they'd usually drink with friends this time of the year. He'd give them a good two hours before they were out cold. Paige spent the remaining time of dinner in her room, Marco took it upon himself to make her a plate and personally deliver it to her. However, after several knocks to her door she didn't respond. Marco wrapped the plate up, nice and good, and placed it in the frig for tomorrow morning.

Ellie and Craig headed out shortly after Spinner and Jimmy; they'd made plans to go to the college pub for coffees after dinner. Marco started to ask to tag along, but he didn't want to be a butt-in. Ever since Craig got back from rehab a few months ago, he and Ellie had been tight. She actually seemed relieved that Jesse cheated on her, as if some kind of useless weight had been lifted off her shoulders. Ellie and Craig nearly spent every waking hour together, sometimes talking, other times studying, and on good days…

With the house to himself, well almost, Marco decided to have "me time" and he couldn't think of a better way to chill on his own couch than with a Cosby Show marathon. He clicked on the television and plopped himself on the couch, but just as the season 4 theme began to play, Paige entered the living room. Her face puffy, probably from the crying and the sleeping, and her blonde hair a mess. Marco clicked off the T.V. and patted the cushion next to him, gesturing for Paige to join him on the couch. She made her way to him and placed her head on his shoulder, he wrapped his arm around her.

"Tell Doctor. Marco" he said.

"I do wanna be with her, but she's right, I've taken advantage of her one too many times. How can I get her to trust me again? I'm nothing to her." she said, folding her arms and pouting.

"You're not nothing to her, you're probably everything, but she can't just take you back. She needs time." Marco insisted, rubbing Paige's shoulder.

"How much time? I hate waiting."

"You know Alex, she'll probably go back to Ajax and think all about you until she builds up the courage to come back here and tell _you_ how _she_ feels. You're the first girl she's ever loved, there's always going to be a spot in her heart for you."

"Why can't I fill her whole heart? Her whole love? Her whole… whatever. I need her Marco, badly."

"I know, but not everything goes Paige's way, sometimes you just gotta let nature take its course." Paige stood from her spot on the couch; she hovered over Marco with her hands at her hips.

"There is one thing I can control." She smirked.

"What?" Marco asked, looking up at her questionably.

"Tomorrow morning, I'm heading off to Ajax and I want you to come with." She said, pointing a finger at Marco.

"Okay, did you just miss my whole "nature needs to take its own course" speech?"

"No, I heard every word of it actually and that's exactly what I'm doing, I'm taking my own course of nature. I have to go pack." Paige ran off.

"That's, that's not what I meant Paige! Paige!" Marco called after her. He lay back on the couch and began to rub his forehead. "Great." He whispered.


	4. Something Serious

"Are you sure about this?" Marco asked, packing a juicy juice in his blue lunch box.

"For the thousandth time, yes Marco. I need to do this," Paige said, taking the sandwiches she made last night out of the refrigerator.

"I know, I know, you need Alex. Not to be Mr. Defensive or whatever, but what if Alex doesn't give in? What if she's just fine with the way things are?"

"Enough with the 'what if's', I need to at least try again. If things don't go my way then so be it, but I have to prove to her that I'm not willing to give up. I can't let her slip away again."

"She means too much to you, I understand." Marco looked down at his wrist watch. "Well if we're planning on getting to Ajax before noon, we need to hit the road now."

"Cool," Paige zipped the flap of her lunch box and closed the refrigerator door.

"I know we're on this huge, epic quest to win back your ex-lover's heart, but we've been lacking fun for a while."

"So what do you suggest, we go to an amusement park?" Paige folded her arms.

"No…maybe, let's just get to Ajax road trip style."

"Road trip style?"

"Yah know a huge montage of us cranking up the music, speeding down the road, laughing and having fun… possibly partaking in an accidental bank heist. Something." Paige made a face at the boy.

"I'm for it, except for the bank heist part." Just as the two grabbed their lunch boxes and headed for the door, Ellie stormed downstairs.

"You're seriously gonna do it?" she asked.

"Looks like." Marco said.

"Hmm, thought you'd chicken out at the last minute or something."

"Well we're not. Now is there something you wanted to tell us, cause we're a little pressed for time Hun." Paige tapped her wrist as if gesturing to a watch.

"You guys were sleep when we got back last night, so I couldn't tell you anything." She said.

"You came down here to tell us how your night went with Craig?" Paige asked.

"No, when we were out last night, I called Alex on my cell. I just wanted to check on her to see if she was okay after last night."

"What'd she say? Anything about me?"

"Of course she talked about you, Paige. But before you get all excited, there's something you should know." The glitter in Paige's eyes soon simmered once Ellie spoke her last sentence.

"Is she okay?" Marco asked.

"Oh yeah she's fine, it's just that we talked for a while and it seems like there may be someone else. She says she has this friend, they spend a lot of time together and it may be getting serious, she isn't exactly sure though."

"Oh that's just great."

"Sorry Paige, we don't have to go if you don't want to." Marco placed a hand on his friend's shoulder.

"What? Are you kidding? We're going to Ajax no matter what. She didn't say anything about them dating, did she?" Paige asked, turning to Ellie.

"No, but"

"But nothing, I'm getting Alex back and if that means sabotaging this new girl's life than oh well." Marco and Ellie exchanged looks. "Now Marco, let's hit the road. See yah in a few days, Ellie." Paige grabbed her coat from the hanger and left the house.

"Marco, please watch her." Ellie begged.

"I will, hopefully she won't cause too much trouble. Don't forget Griffin's coming back tomorrow, so can the three of you try to keep the house clean."

"Oh please, like I don't have great hygiene."

"I know you do, but Craig… just keep the house clean for us. Love you." Marco pecked Ellie on the cheek, grabbed his coat and followed Paige's lead out the door. Ellie closed it behind him.

Shortly after the two's departure, Craig came downstairs and joined Ellie in the kitchen.

"Morning," he yawned.

"Morning." She replied, pouring her coffee.

"Sleep well?"

"Yeah," Ellie took a few sniffs to the air, she smelled something horrible, foul in fact. Was it her milk? Did something go bad in the frig? Then she realized what it was. "You didn't take a shower this morning, did you?"

"Maybe."


	5. My Inspiration

**Author's Note: Sorry It's been a while, there was something wrong with the login system. But here's chapter 5. **

"Good Morning, Lexi" Sam greeted as Alex entered the employee room. Sam had light, brown skin with long, black curls that reached her waist. Her black/brown eyes had a slight twinkle in them, and her slim figure was more than striking to Alex. The girl had the most exuberant personality, she always had a bright smile on her face and she had a habit of making Alex laugh. Yes, most of the words she'd use to describe the girl weren't in her vocabulary, but there was something about her that made her go weak in the knees each time she saw Sam.

The two worked all three shifts as waitresses at K G's, the restaurant her cousin owned, Alex was lucky enough to have a family member that was making something of their life instead of clinging on to idiot exes. The job paid well enough, enough to pay rent, and Alex was happy… mostly because she got to spend a lot of time with Sam. It might've been a bit of a coincidence that the girl was a lesbian as well, which was rare for Alex to find someone as interesting and in her league. They weren't exactly official, yet, but a good quiet moment between the two would set things off.

"Hey," she said.

"How'd your thanksgiving go? Have fun with …what's her name, Paige?"

"Paige is far away and I'm glad, I probably would've had a better time with you and Karen." Karen was Alex's cousin.

"Didn't go so well, huh?"

"Not so much, it ended with me leaving stuffing and telling her off. She wanted to get back with me and I just couldn't do it, so I left." Alex was surprised at how unfazed she sounded towards the situation. On the drive back home, she couldn't stop crying; now she spoke as if the night before had no impact on her emotions. Maybe Sam had that affect on her.

"Well, she must've been pretty foolish in the first place to let you go." Alex always loved how Sam made it seem like everything was the world's fault, as if Alex was a saint and she could do no wrong.

"Thanks."

"Well the early bird hasn't flown in yet. Wanna watch some cartoons until its order takin' time?"

"Sure, that doesn't sound sooo horrible."

Paige's clever idea to go to Ajax would've been perfect… if she knew how to get there. It didn't come to mind until she and Marco started on the road. She had to play things off each time he asked her what direction they were headed in, but Paige had things under control. They'd end up in Ajax, somehow.

Marco had his feet propped up on the dashboard board, twitching them back and forth to the music that played in the stereos. "Modern Love" by The Premiums.

"Paige are you sure you know where we're going?" He asked. "It's not like we take daily trips to Ajax."

"I know where we're going, trust me. Just lay back and relax, enjoy the scenery, we'll be in Ajax in a few hours."

"Fine." The two were quiet for a moment, Paige stared blankly at the road and Marco stared blankly at the blonde sitting next to him. "I kinda love you, you know that?"

"I thought you always did."

"I did, but I think I do even more."

"Why is that?"

"Cause you've grown so much. In a million years I never would've thought that Paige Michalchuk would go to such great lengths to get back her ex, a girl at that."

"Um Hun, it's just a road trip."

"Its way more than that, and you know it. You're kinda my idol, believe it or not."

"Please. Don't idolize me, I've done nothing to be worthy of it. I bombed out at Banting, lied about it, lost my job and I practically guided Alex to Ajax. I'm nothing, just some silly blonde who always screws up what she has going for her."

"Paige, that's not true. No matter what the odds, you always find a way to get back on your feet. You tried to enroll at the university."

"Yeah, and look how that turned out."

"It doesn't matter, you always try. You never give up and I admire you for it. Not even Ellie could give me as much inspiration as you have, your determination is incredible. If it weren't, I would not be sitting next to you in this car." Paige slightly turned to him, her focus still on road as well. She smiled at Marco and he smiled back.

"Thanks, I kinda needed that."

"No problem. Just keep your eyes on the road Michalchuk, and we'll be cool." All Paige could do was smile.

"Are you sure you're gay? Cause I could drop this whole road trip and date you instead."


End file.
